Living with: Sony VPL-VW90ES 3D projector

The gap between cinemas and home entertainment just keeps
closing. If 3D blockbusters like Avatar got people off of
the sofa and into the theatre, this 3D projector is here to lure
them back. Beaming a 25-foot 3D image in
full high definition into your living room, Sony's first 3D
projector promises serious cinephiles 3D thrills of epic
proportions.

Aimed at enthusiasts, this premium piece of kit has the same
sizable casing as Sony's existing high-end projectors, but it's
packing a new SXRD panel -- Sony's own liquid crystal on silicon
projection technology.

It's also the first projector to have fully integrated 3D, which
means the IR transmitter that synchronises the signal with the
glasses is actually built into the lens housing and not an
additional device that has to be located near the screen as with
JVC's 3D offerings. Two pairs of active shutter glasses similar to
those you find with Sony's TVs, but with an additional filter, are
included.

The 3D functionality clearly commands a premium as this is
Sony's priciest projector. As you would hope, it also comes with
the highest specification. The SXRD panel's native resolution is
1920x1080 and the brightness is a respectable 1,000 ANSI lumens.
The contrast ratio is boosted by a dynamic iris that responds to
ambient light and is quoted at a respectable 150,000:1. It's well
connected too, with two HDMI ports and a PC input.

It's also very easy to setup, assuming that you are strong
enough to hoist it into position. At 12kg, it's a weighty beast.
Luckily, the vertical and horizontal lens shift are motorised, so
you can focus on the screen from the comfort of the sofa. You'll
need to have it lined up roughly with your screen though, because
the lens shift distance is quite limited. Calibration is slightly
unconventional, but the oversized remote control makes the process
fairly straightforward.

Power up the big VW90ES and it takes a few moments for the lamp
to warm up and the lens cover to slide open revealing the
centre-mounted lens. What you get is a big bright image that easily
filled my ten-foot screen. Sony recommends 300 inches as the
maximum. The fan noise is also conspicuous by its absence. There's
just a gentle hum at a lower dB level than DLP projectors, with
their additional colour wheels tend to operate at.

The level of detail on screen is staggering. Given a 1080p feed
from Blu-ray at 24 frames per second, you'll see a flawless image
without a jagged edge, or blocked pixel in sight. It's not until
you walk right up to the screen that you can just make out the
individual pixels and physical structure of the SXRD panel. In
regular 2D mode, Gladiator looks remarkably crisp and vibrant. The
edgy and deliberately jerky digital camerawork used in its filming
benefit from the sharp image quality here and the realistic colours
are perfectly matched on screen.